Cornelius otto jonkers



c. O. JONKERS HEAT 'EXCHANGER Aug. 11, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 20, 1955 INVENTOR 5 CORNEJUS OTTO JONKERS Aug. 11, 1959 c. o. JONKERS 9 8 HEAT EXCHANGER v 7 Filed July 20, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v INVENTORS CORNELIUS OTTO JONKERS AGENT United States HEAT EXCHANGER Cornelius Otto Jonkers, Eindhoven, Netherlands, assignor,

by mesne assignments, to North American Philips Company, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Application July 20, 1955, Serial No. 523,148

Claims priority, application Netherlands August 4, 1954 4 Claims. (Cl. 62-6) It is known, that if a gaseous mixture, for example air,

is cooled so that it becomes liquid or may be separated into components, the admixtures, for example water 'vapour and carbon dioxide, contained in the gaseous mixture may give rise to difiiculties owing to the dep osition of ice. It is therefore desirable to conduct away these admixtures, which may be carried out in a heat exchanger. In a known kind of heat exchanger the medium containing a plurality of components is cooled and one or more components are separated out of the medium. The heat exchanger comprises a support extending from the hot side of the heat exchanger, to which the medium is fed, to the cold side thereof, where this medium is conducted away: the support is provided with a plurality of at least substantially parallel, plate-shaped extensions, lying one behind the other in the direction of length of the support, and being in thermal contact with the medium, the extensions being surrounded by a wall in a manner such that from the hot side of the heat exchanger to the cold side thereof a plurality of spaces is formed, which communicate with one another through apertures in the extensions.

This heat exchanger may be secured to a cold-gas refrigerator, so that at least part of the heat withdrawn from the medium is conducted away to the cold-gas refrigerator. Heat may, however, be withdrawn from the heat exchanger in a different manner; for example, the support of the heat exchanger may be caused to give up heat to the boiler of a gas rectifying column, so that the fraction with the highest boiling point, contained in the boiler evaporates at least partly. One of the fractions separated out may be conducted away from the system in thermal contact with the support, so that part of the heat is transferred to the boiler and a further part to the fraction leaving the system.

' It has" been suggested to construct the heat exchanger in a manner such that the heat transferred by the medium to the extensions is conducted away for at least 20% by thermal conductivity by way of the support to the cold side of the heat exchanger, whilst the component(s) to be separated out is (are) deposited on at least a few of these extensions, the mean temperature of each of which is, owing to a suitable choice of the component parts of the heat exchanger, at the most 20, preferably not more than lower than that of the next following extension, the mean temperature of the extension at which the separation starts being, in normal operation of the heat exchanger, at the most 20 C. preferably not more than 10 C. lower than the point of separation of the component(s) concerned as it (they) is (are) fed to that extension.

Owing to the .aforesaid temperature distribution the production of fine snow in the gaseous mixture may be reduced or even completely prevented before this mixture is in contact with the extensions. If the fine ice particles are produced in the gaseous mixture, they will Patented Aug. 11, 1959 not adhere to the extensions, so that they are not captured and the cooled gaseous mixture is not purified.

However if at a suitable temperature of the extensions, the impurities are captured, an ice layer is produced mainly on one side of the extensions, this layer growing finally so large that the passages between the plates get obturated. It is then necessary to heat the heat exchanger, so that the layers of ice are removed.

The invention has for its object to construct the heat exchanger in a manner such that, its dimensions being the same, the heat exchanger can contain a larger quantity of ice than that of known construction, so that the period during which the heat exchanger can fulfill its operation is increased.

According to the invention the apertures in the plateshaped extensions are provided in a manner such that each aperture lies between two solid portions of two in a manner such that the distance between such a portion and a solid portion of an extension on the cold side exceeds the distance between this portion and a solid portion of an extension on the hot side.

In order to obtain a maximum space for the ice it is desirable that, in accordance with a further aspect of the invention, also the part of an extension round about an aperture should be spaced apart farther from the extension on the cold side than from the extension on the hot side.

According to a further aspect of the invention the solid portions of the extensions on the cold side of the apertures of other extensions are deformed in a manner such that the distance between the solid portion opposite the aperture and the edge of the aperture is increased. As an alterative, both the portions of the extensions round about the apertures and the solid portions may be deformed.

It has been found to be desirable that, in accordance with a further aspect of the invention, a gradual transition should be provided between a deformed portion and anon-deformed portion of an extension.

- It has furthermore been found to be desirable, in order to obtain a satisfactory operation of the heat exchanger,

. that the deformations of the extensions should be proportioned to be such that they do not overlap the deformations of the adjacent extensions. 1

According to a further favourable aspect of the inven tion the distance between the edge of an aperture and the solid portion of the extension on the cold side is at the most ten times, preferably five times larger than the distance between the edge of the aperture and the solid portion of the extension on the hot side.

The invention will be described more fully with reference to a few embodiments.

Fig. l is a partial side elevation view of device embodying the invention and a partial sectional view thereof taken along the lines II of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the present device taken along the line IIII of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is another modification of the device constructed in accordance with the invention being partially a side elevational view and partially a sectional view thereof taken along the lines III-III of Fig. 4 and Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional View taken along IVIV of Fig. 3.

The heat exchanger shown in these figures comprises a support 1, which is secured to a head 2 of a cold-gas refrigerator: The cold-gas refrigerator is not shown in the figure. The support has plate-shaped extensions 3, extending transversely to the support and lying one behind the other, viewed in the direction of length of the support. These extensions have apertures 4, so that in the heat exchanger a plurality of spaces 5 are formed, which communicate openly with one another. The extensions are surrounded by a wall 6 of heat-insulating material, which, in turn, is surrounded by a second wall 7. The medium to be cooled from which one or more components are to be separated, is fed through a duct 8 to an annular space 9 between the walls 6 and 7, after which it is conducted to the top side of the heat exchanger. In the embodiment shown the heat exchanger thus has its hotter side at the top, whereas the cold side is located at the bottom. On the extension ice is deposited. The material and the dimensions of the support 1 and of the extensions 3 are chosen to be such that the difference between the mean temperature of the successive extensions is at the most 20 C., preferably at the most 10 C. Moreover, the mean temperature of the extension at which the separation starts is at the most 20 C., preferably at the most 10 C. lower than the point of separation of the component.

In order to increase the quantity of ice which the heat exchanger is capable of containing, the extensions 3 are provided with deformations 10, which are provided roundabout the apertures 4 and are located so that the distance 11 between the edge of the aperture and the solid portion of the extension on the cold side exceeds the distance 12 between this edge and the solid portion of the extension on the hot side. The distance 11 is at the most ten times the distance 12, it is preferably however five times this distance. If the aforesaid ratio were exceeded there is a risk of excessive local velocities of the gas.

As is evident from Fig. 2, the deformations ofsuccessive plates do not overlap one another.

After the medium has been purified, it may be further cooled at vanes 13 of the head of the refrigerator, the medium may thus condense. The condensate produced can be conducted away through a duct 14. To this end this duct has a goose neck 15.

Figs. 3 and 4 show one embodiment, in which the portions of the extensions roundabout the apertures are not deformed but the solid portions are deformed. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line III-III of Fig. 4 and Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line IVIV of Fig. 3. Parts corresponding to those shown in Figs. 1 and 2 are designated by the same reference numerals. Also in this construction the gaseous mixture is fed through the duct 8 and it flows through the annular duct 9 to the extensions 3, which are provided with apertures 4. In this embodiment the solid portions 16 of these extensions which are on the cold side opposite the apertures are deformed. Also in this case 4 the distance 11 exceeds the distance 12. In both the embodiments there is a gradual transition from the nondeformed portion to the deformed portion of an extension.

Although in the embodiments described above the support is arranged centrally, Whilst the extensions of the support extend to the Wall, from which no or substantially no heat is conducted away to the cold source, the wall surrounding the extensions may be constructed as a support, so that in this case the central support could be dispensed with.

What is claimed is:

1. A heat exchanger for a cold gas refrigerator containing a medium in which a plurality of components side thereof after traversing all of said extensions successively; an insulating wall surrounding said extensions; the location of said apertures being staggeredin successive extensions and having material surrounding each of said apertures of such a form that the distance between said material surrounding said aperture and the adjacent extension on the cold side thereof exceeds the distance between said material surrounding said aperture and the adjacent extension on the hot side thereof.

2. A heat exchanger for a cold gas refrigerator as claimed in claim 1 wherein the distance between said material surrounding each of said apertures and the adjacent extension closer to the cold side of said heat exchanger exceeds the distance between the material surrounding each of said apertures and the adjacent extension closer to the hot side of said heat exchanger.

3. A heat exchanger for a cold gas refrigerator as claimed in claim 2 wherein said material surrounding each of said apertures forms a crater-like projection.

4. A heat exchanger for a cold gas refrigerator as claimed in claim 2 wherein the distance between said material surrounding each of said apertures and the adjacent extension closer to the cold side of said heat exchanger is at the most 10 times the distance between said material surrounding each of said apertures and the adjacent extensions closer to the hot side of said heat exchanger.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,010,044 Grace Nov. 28, 1911 2,708,832 McGregor May 24, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 899,140 France May 22, 1945 

1. A HEAT EXCHANGER FOR A COLD GAS REFRIGERATOR CONTAINING A MEDIUM IN WHICH A PLURALITY OF COMPONENTS ARE COOLED AND AT LEAST ONE OF THE COMPONENTS IS SEPARATED OUT COMPRISING; A FREEZER HEAD FOR SAID REFRIGERATOR, A SUPPORT MOUNTED OVER SAID FREEZER HEAD AND A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL, APERTURED PLATE-SHAPED EXTENSIONS LOCATED IN SPACED, SUPERPOSED RELATIONSHIP ON SAID SUPPORT AND EXTENDING IN A PLANE TRANSVERSE TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID SUPPORT; SAID MEDIUM BEING IN THERMAL CONTACT WITH SAID EXTENSIONS AND ENTERING THE HOT SIDE OF THE HEAT EXCHANGER AND LEAVING FROM THE COLD SIDE THEREOF AFTER TRAVERSING ALL OF SAID EXTENSIONS SUCCESSIVELY; AND INSULATING WALL SURROUNDING SAID EXTENSIONS; THE LOCATION OF SAID APERTURES BEING STAGGERED IN SUCCESSIVE EXTENSIONS AND HAVING MATERIAL SURROUNDING EACH OF SAID APERTURES OF SUCH A FORM THAT THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID MATERIAL SURROUNDING SAID APERTURE AND THE ADJACENT EXTENSION ON THE COLD SIDE THEREOF EXCEEDS THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID MATERIAL SURROUNDING SAID APERTURE AND THE ADJACENT EXTENSION ON THE HOT SIDE THEREOF. 